On Freedom

“Freedom is not just an absence of evil but a presence of good.”

This line highlights Snyder’s central reframing of liberty, using antithesis (“absence” versus “presence”) to underscore the shift from negative freedom to a constructive, positive vision of freedom. It also sets the moral and philosophical tone for the entire book, signaling that freedom depends on institutions, values, and shared responsibilities rather than mere resistance to oppression.

“The moment you believe that freedom is given, it is gone.”

Here Snyder challenges the idea of liberty as an inheritance or gift. The sentence is stark and aphoristic, using brevity and paradox to emphasize that freedom requires continual effort. It warns readers against complacency and highlights one of Snyder’s key insights: Freedom must be actively practiced and sustained through collective and individual action.

“The Liberty Bell was named in reference to those who gained no liberty. It was used to claim a better future, not to commemorate an ideal past.”

The sentence reframes a national icon away from nostalgia and toward unfinished work. By contrasting “claim a better future” with “ideal past,” Snyder pivots the reader from myths of an idealized past toward the responsibility to build a better future. The crisp antithesis signals his larger project: redefining freedom as forward-looking and constructive.